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Hi Lisa!! Welcome! Congrats on getting approved for everything. Scheduling your surgery for Mid-November may be complicated. Especially with Thanksgiving. you are going to need a good 6 weeks of being on a strict diet. That is why I waited until after the 1st of the year. That way I could concentrate on what I needed to be doing and i didn't get distracted about all the goodies that come out around the Christmas time. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!!

Hour and half ride home didn't bother me and my pillow. Band removal and replacement only took a little over an hour. No complications! Yeh!!! They confirmed the leak, which suprisingly was in the band itself and not the tubing or port. I guess you could say I had a flat tire. I am feeling pretty good now. I am sure thanks to the pain meds. Sipping Water for my sore throat. Hope all the others banded today are as fortunate.

So it’s been 3 weeks since my VSG surgery. And can I tell you, WHAT a 3 weeks it’s been. I feel like a completely new person!!! I have energy, I willingly take my kids swimming (in a bathing suit… gasp!) and I look forward to the gym. Now for the (impressive, if I do say so myself) weight loss stats: I have lost a total of 22 lbs in 3 weeks!! I have stalled for the last week or so, but I’ve lost inches, so I’m not super concerned. In fact, I’ve more than 4 INCHES off of my waist in 3 weeks. So yeah, awesome to say the least!!! And I've experienced literally ZERO hunger since surgery. food just isn't exciting to me anymore. I did the 2 week pre-op diet, had surgery and had to modify my eating after surgery and I had to deal with my husband and other family members. I’ll go ahead and describe each of those items in a bit of detail. First, the pre-op diet: I had a strict 3-4 Protein shake menu, plus 1 small “Lean Cuisine” type meal per day. All in all, my diet is less than 1,000 calories per day. Since I had done the HMR diet in years past, which was surprisingly easy for me, I just went ahead and did that diet again – 5 shakes and 1 small pre-packaged meal. Very easy. I’m not saying that I never got hungry or had cravings, but with the volume of protein that I was ingesting, it was hard to stay hungry for long. And I had a big goal in mind – my surgery date of 8/8/11. Right after starting the pre-op diet, I attended the pre-op class. It was ALL DAY and went through blood tests, hospital check in, the post-diet surgery, the hospital stay and all post-op prescriptions. It was very thorough and thankfully they gave me a binder with all the info in it, because there was a guy in my class who (I kid you not) was the most annoying person on earth. He interrupted the doctor and nurse about every other minute with some personal concern (I knew his entire life history after this class), and he asked the same question multiple times. Now, I GET wanting to get your questions answered, but I made sure that I had asked all my personal questions ALONE with my doctor during my individual appointment. Anyway, it was hard to listen to what they were saying when that guy kept talking – I sort of stopped listening. But when I got home, I made sure to review the binder in detail. The day before surgery, I was allowed to eat a REAL Breakfast but only liquids after that. I was too nervous to eat honestly, so I just had my normal Protein Shake day but I skipped the “real food” dinner that night. I also had to shower the night before with Hibicleanse antibacterial soap, sleep on clean (washed in super hot water) sheets and PJ’s, and then take another Hibicleanse shower the next morning. They weren’t taking any chances with infections, thank goodness. I was scheduled for surgery at 8 am the following morning and I had to arrive at the hospital at 5:30 am. I ended up having a coworker drive me to the hospital and drop me off (she’s totally awesome, like an older sister that I never had). My husband had to get our 2 little girls ready for preschool that morning, so he was going to come to the hospital when I was still in surgery. So, I arrive at the Sharp Memorial Hospital at 5:30 am and I’m called back to the “S.P.A.” area to get prepped. Basically, I took off my clothing, they made me take another pregnancy test and they hooked up my IV. Then I sat and waiting for another hour or 2. The anesthesiologist came in to talk to me. Now, the one thing I made SURE to do was to tell him that during my last (and only) other surgery, I felt awful for about a day afterward because the anesthesia had made me so nauseated. Like I couldn’t walk without barfing – think seasickness or morning sickness times a thousand. And with a surgery on my stomach, I imagined that throwing up was NOT a good thing. And thank goodness I did that – no nausea at ALL after surgery. It was night and day different from my last surgical experience! Then my doctor came in, made sure I had no questions, and we were off to the operating room. I then moved over to the new bed in the room and the doctor told me he was giving me something to make me calm down a bit. Boy did it ever! I felt a bit drunk for about 2 minutes…. Then I woke up in recovery! Recovery: Now this was weird. I knew where I was and what was going on, I could hear everyone talking (nurses and doctors) and my brain felt like it was working OK… but I couldn’t open my eyes. Very weird! I lay like that for a few minutes before I was finally able to open my eyes. Then I got some pain medication, even though I wasn’t in pain, and fell asleep again. I woke up while being moved to my new room. And let me tell you, my room was AWESOME! Totally private and in the new wing of the hospital, and it was a corner room with ceiling to floor windows that overlooked pretty much all of San Diego. I totally lucked out with the room! My nurses were great, too. I was up and walking within an hour or so of getting to my room, and I had little to no pain. It was very surprising and, like I said before, a completely different experience from when I had my gallbladder removed 2 years prior. I had 5 very small incisions that really didn’t hurt. I was able to suck on ice chips for the first day with no problems, and then I was moved to Propel Water the next day. I did manage to disconnect my IV line (there was a connection in the middle of the line from the bag to the needle in my arm) while in the bathroom. I didn’t notice until I saw blood everywhere on the floor. That was a bit scary! But the nurse came right away (like within 10 seconds) reconnected me without having to run a new IV and I was as good as new. I was discharged the next day. OK, now for the family drama. I didn’t tell anyone about the surgery with the exception of a few people – my husband, my awesome coworker, my boss and my Aunt who has gastric bypass a year ago. That was it. I didn’t tell people because of my husband’s reaction. He was 100% completely and TOTALLY against the surgery. We fought about it for over 6 months, and he went so far as to schedule a shoulder surgery the WEEK before my surgery in an attempt to get me to cancel. (A side note, he’s needed shoulder surgery for years, but he decided to do it right before mine at the very last minute). Poor guy – not only did I not cancel, but he was left taking care of 2 preschool girls with one arm in a sling. That backfired for him badly. Anyway, now that the surgery is over and I’m not dead (that was his big concern obviously) and he can now see how great I feel, how much more energy I have (especially for certain “things” that I didn’t have much interest in before.. wink, wink) and how much better that I look, he’s much better about the whole thing. He’s turned from 100% NOT supportive, to completely supportive. Thank GOD! The other family drama that I had was with my Aunt. She knew I wasn’t telling anyone – I made it a point to tell her right off the bat that I wasn’t sharing with ANYONE until I was ready- but what does she do?? She calls my SISTER and tells her. So my sister was frantically trying to reach my husband to find out what’s going on with me, how I’m doing, etc. So now the cat’s out of the bag. My sister is very supportive, and I was going to tell her, but I wanted to do so on my own time, and I kinda wanted to surprise everyone in a few months with the “new” me. Now I also have to tell my parents because they would be devastated if they found out second hand. But, whatever… nothing I can do about it now. Anyway, that’s my story in a nutshell. I really can’t believe I’ve done it, and it was SO incredibly easy for me. I was expecting some problem, some complication or lots of pain, but I got nothing. No energy loss, pain, nausea, nothing. I was back to work a week early (after only a week) and I actually worked from home starting on the Thursday after my Monday surgery (I was bored and I’m a bit of a workaholic). This whole process has been a dream. I just wish that this DAMN 3 week stall would let up!!!

Hi Everyone, I had my GVS surgery on June 13, and all went well. I remember laying in bed waiting for surgery, and the next thing I remember is waking up in my room with it all done. I had a mild cramping in my chest, but it went away as soon as the nurses gave me meds. I remember walking down the hall soon after I woke up to insure that gas wouldn't get the best of me. The nurses kept me comfortable and gave me meds on a schedule. I also had a medicine ball for incisional pain. I never felt any incisional pain whatsoever. I walked the halls a few time the next day. I didn't have any complications at all. They wanted to let me go home on the second day, but I said that I wanted to stay one more night. It was included in the package deal, and I felt more comfortable sticking around a little longer. Today is my first day at home post op, and I have been comfortable here as well. I cleaned up the kitchen, walked a little outside, washed a load of clothes, and Sip, Sip Sipped all day... I did my Clear liquids and no problems. I didnt do everything at once, just a little at a time as I felt that I could do. I feel very blessed and very happy and to me, this experience was a cake walk... I realize everyone's experience is different, so I don't want to downplay the realities of others. My prayers are with you all that have suffered and had complications. A couple of weeks before surgery all the way to surgery date, I made sure to exercise by doing weight resistance, and aerobic activity. Not sure if it helped, but I figure getting the blood flowing in the body couldn't hurt. I feel so happy that this is done and over with, and now, I can watch myself deflate. I can't wait...

I woke up vomitting. After one of my many boughts I started crying and and said "I'm not allowed to throw up. Is my band gonna be ok?" they assured me I was ok so I went back to sleep. After spending 24 hours in the hospital due to blood pressure complications, I was allowed to go home.

I have had the band for 9 years and suffered with it as well... I revised to bypass (my personal choice) 2 months ago and even though I had complication, I love it. I ate chicken today and didn't have horrible "stuck" episode! It was amazing! I wish I have done his so many years ago!

@@beachgal2935 your post made me upset! I too fear having a stroke and not being around for my husband and kids. I worry about heart disease and all the complications that come with diabetes. As I speak, my sugars are out of control even tho my diet has been exceptional and I'm taking all my meds. The dr says sometimes there's no explaination for the rise in blood readings but that doesn't sit well with me. You went thru so much all because of that, you have done really well, I'm happy you're alive and on the mend to show me the valuable lesson. I'm seeing clearly that for the sake of "food" I shouldn't let my health and future grow dim, and that's what will happen. I'm not an obese person, here in Australia we use (kgs) and I'm 80 kgs so while I'm not BAD, I could stand to lose 15-20 more kgs. And it seems that weight is what is keeping me from being well and healthy and being taken off the list for more serious things to go wrong. You know I was put on insulin 5 months ago and for 2 months after I felt normal again, my energy had returned and my hbac1 was looking great! Now my level has started to rise again and I fear this will continue to be a never ending roller coaster. It seems to be that bypass is the answer to getting off the roller coaster......... I feel nervous going into such a life changing move but if I feel good and I get to hang around and be with my kids, then it's a small payoff. I can't thank you enough for writing your story to send to me, it has shifted my thoughts on maybe to definitely for the surgery.

It is what it's about, talking about experiences, which is why I have spoken to you straight. The fact is, to lose all your excess weight, you have to work at it, which you said you haven't really done, but still managed to clock up a pretty decent weight loss. I then said to lose the last bit, you're going to have to put in the effort. I then gave you related information from my own experience about how hard it really is without the band, having been on both sides of the fence recently. I also tried to put into perspective your fears about complications and how bad things can happen at any time, so worrying about it sometimes is worse than it happening. I addressed your post despite not quite knowing what you were concerned about to begin with and I may not have been as sweet about it as you might have preferred but I'm at work and posting during my lunch-break so my time is pretty limited. Yet I still thought to provide advice based on my experience. Take it or leave it, it's up to you.

I just want to address the bolded statement. I had a leak 2 days post my revision. I also had horrible anesthesia complications during the repair, landed on life support for 4-5 days and my prognosis was grave at best. I had an extensive 3.5 month long recovery with an additional hospitalization for abscesses, was on TPN with a central pic line for over 2 weeks with nothing by mouth for over 20 days after the leak repair. My husband was deployed, and not allowed to come home during all of this even as I lay in ICU with a 10% chance of survival. I can assure you that my recovery was pure hell, but not once did I think "oh crap what have I done!". To this very day, I have absolutely ZERO regrets nor am I anything short of 100% certain that I made the right choice with VSG. I never once doubted that I made the "right" choice with VSG, and today, I'm even more certain that I made the best decision. I've said it many times here that I would endure every struggle and obstacle in my recovery to live the life I have today. I just thought I would throw out my experience to give a different perspective on complications with any surgery.

Thanks for your replies. I know the bariatric place where I'm going will handle insurance stuff, but maybe I'll do a little more digging before I go to the seminar. i'm just now learning that some companies make you see a dietician for 6 months and/or have other stipulations. Now I'm afraid this could get complicated. The research is overwhelming. Especially when I have next to no downtime (stay at home mom to 3 under 3). This forum looks very informative!

When I woke up I was in a great mood. I went into surgery humming and I woke up with the thumbs up and smiling. The first day and night were fine. I know I hurt, but the pain wasn't overwhelming. I walked 3 times that night. The next morning, day two was rough. I had a little tiny bit of nausea, but I was worried about the upper gi leak test. Luckily they gave me an anti-nausea shot (plus I had a patch) and I went for the leak test, the gastrique was horrible. I had an allergic reaction to the stuff and I broke out in hives. They never saw that happen to someone before. I was extremely nauseated and sick the rest of the day and they gave me tons of different anti-nausea medications. I still walked a lot. The third day, wasn't too bad. I was in the hospital 5 days. I had a drain 9 days, so I went home with the drain. I made sure I walked....a lot. I brought decaff peppermint tea and truvia with me to the hospital. It made everything bearable. Go into the surgery with a positive attitude. I had to remain strong and positive for my husband, son and parents. They were all terrified. I refused to let them see me terrified. Sometimes all the world indeeds a stage and we are merely players....one of my mottos is fake it til you make it. I put on a brave face and I woke up with one. I had complications during my surgery, some very serious ones that had nothing to do with the sleeve, and my family seeing me wake up after spending 7 hours in surgery, and 2 hours in recovery was just what they needed. Best of luck to you. Smile, go into the hospital with a favorite song playing in your head and hum it to yourself into surgery. My father had surgery recently and before surgery I told him that I used the family theme song (Sanford & Son) as my theme song into surgery and I hummed it to the nurses and he laughed. He said, I just want to wake up after surgery, and he sung, "Wake me up, before you go go" and we laughed. It's hilarious cause he's 74. Edited to say* He actually sang it to his anesthesiologist before he went to surgery.... Good luck again.

Hi, I live in Northern Arizona. I have made it to a seminar, and have decided on getting surgery, just not sure which one or where yet. I am leaning more towards Lap Band, but have been considering the Sleeve also. I have been hearing horror stories about Lap Band, but also have heard some really good things. With the Sleeve it seems that after surgery there is less restriction, less hunger, and fewer complications, but I guess it depends on who you talk to. which is why I am glad I found this site, it will be nice to get to talk to some people who have had this done. The other decision I am torn on is where to get it done. In Mexico it is so much cheaper, but my husband has some concerns about my safety as far as getting it done in Mexico. Anyone have any experience with this? Is just as safe?

Michelle, I can't offer any suggestions on Mexico but there are plenty of people on here who have gone to Mexico and had wonderful experiences. I defer to them and their experience. As for being fearful, here's my take. horror stories about Lap Band There are thousands upon thousands of people who never, ever go to any internet forum and post their comments and stories. People who have bad experiences are often the FIRST ones to find a place to vent. I've read a lot of stuff but no "horror" stories. Yes, some stories of complications (a few who have had their bands slip; a few ports getting flipped) but nothing horrific. The risk of complications with lap band is statistically 0.1%; with bypass it is .10%. That's a big difference. Mechelle voiced a very common concern: Scared it wont work. Most of us have had that fear. After alll, just how many diets have we been on where we didn't lose and gave up or lost a lot of pounds and then "fell off the wagon" and gained it all back with a few extra for good measure? I will tell you that I personally haven't been able to lose more than 30 pounds without falling off the wagon in quite a few years. But I'm down 52 and really haven't even thought about eating some of the crap I used to. Now, that doesn't mean I haven't eaten a little bit of birthday cake (a very little bit, just enough to get the taste) and I've snitched a few fries when I made them for my granddaughter who lives with me but I most definitely haven't gone crazy. This is a lifestyle that comes with enforcement. Your band, once you reach your sweet spot, will keep you from overeating. Yes, you will still have to make good choices, but you will have help. There are bypass patients who have eaten around their bypass surgery and regained some if not all of their weight AND GOTTEN A LAP BAND AFTER. You can eat around any surgery. "Slider foods" like ice cream and stuff has a lot of calories and can get you in a heap of trouble. But guess what? Same problem with other WLS. There is no magic in this. You have to be willing to make the lifestyle changes ... and if you choose the band, you will have a great tool. I can say that because I have the band. I can't say more than I have about bypass because I didn't have that; I've only done my research comparing the band (my choice) with GB. And I know next to nothing about the sleeve so I can't say anything definite about that.

Absolutely take him to a seminar! Once he hears that gastric bypass has a 10% chance of serious complications while lap band has .01% that should help some. Then, being able to ask questions about the specific things that are scaring him should take care of the rest.

I just found out today I was denied for a revision because even though it's for GERD my insurance says the GERD is a complication from weight loss surgery and therefore they won't pay. I hate insurance!

Hey Samie, and welcome to VST. We live in NW Florida panhandle near between Pensacola and Panama City. I'm a band to sleeve revision patient, and I'll be honest, the sleeve is so fabulous. I made it to goal in less than 7 months, and couldn't be happier. I had complications with my band, gained weight with it, and was just downright miserable. My mom and younger brother have the band. My mom has had hers for 2 years, does the sliming, pb'ing practically daily and pukes a couple times a week, and she just thinks it's normal. My younger brother has done fabulous and had great success (100 pounds loss in 5 months), but has only had it since May 2009. My mom has only lost 60% of her EW, and of course that's a successful band per the stats. But, I wouldn't trade my quality of life for hers to have another band. Keep us posted on your journey, ask any questions that you may have, we'll all be here for you.

Hi, My name is Gigi. I am considering WLS and have been doing research on the lap band and VSG. I went to a seminar on 8/19 thinking I wanted a lap band and realized it was not really a good option for me. I have a lot of allergies and do not think the idea of putting a foreign object in my body a good one. As a result, I have been thinking about the VSG. I am 5?7?, around 282 lbs with a BMI around 45; I also have asthma, high-blood pressure and moderate to sever sleep apnea? so I am a good candidate. I still have some concerns especially as I have never had to have an operation. I?m scared! My insurance covers the procedure but I have to do a 6 month doctor supervised diet and exercise plan. I am mainly considering this procedure to improve my health before I add more complications to the mix. Looking better is just a plus. I have been reading the entries on here for while so most of my questions about complications and results have been answered. I am still interested in knowing if there are any major restrictions to exercising after the procedure. I have always been a big girl ? size 14 in high school, while all my friends were size 9 -10 ? and extremely active. I have taken dance lessons most of my life and even when I was in a dance troop where I was dancing 6 days a week, I was never smaller than a size 12/14. So what I am interested in knowing is ? after the procedure do you lose your muscle? When you lose all that weight, is your skin extremely lose that you require surgery to correct? Do you know if I will be called for my initial appointment before I start the dr supervised diet and exercise plan or is that something that typical takes place after you have your initial appointment? Has anyone had there VSG done at Columbia University Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York? That is where I would be getting my surgery if it proves viable for me. Thanks for any information! It is greatly appreciated.

Hi Abe, Welcome and congrats on making the decision to change your life. If you really read into this site, most people do not have those complications, just a few. You could get those same issues with the lap band I believe. I myself , had no complications other than feeling nauseaus coming out of surgery ( common I guess) I believe if you go into this with a clear, positive mind set, you will be just fine. I would do it all over again 10 times to be where I am today. I will be 5 months out on July 9th and am down 72 lbs, 57 since surgery and cant remember the last time I felt this good. Good luck on your decision, keep us posted!

I am doing very well. I am thrilled with the progress, i have had the ups and downs but no real complications. The problems I have experienced have come from my own doing, lesson learned and take it as a kick in the ass for doing the wrong thing:-) My Dr. is Dr.Cussatti in West Islip, very highly recommend. Also, if your in Ronkonkoma I absolutley LOVE my gym- Team Extreme boot camp on the LIE service road- they have helped me so much and will push you further and further. Check them out- it was great for me- I could not stay motivated to exercise completely on my own- I needed that push:-) Good Luck and enjoy the journey

I'm relieved that you persisted and got an answer. Scary to think what may have happened if you hadn't sought out another opinion. It is a shame you Mexico contact went silent when communicated your complications to them. Due to the rise in Medical Tourism it is important they track the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking. To not do so is dangerous and disingenuous. Have you considered trying to contact your surgeon directly if possible?

How ya doin Rodney? My surgery went well, no complications. Doc said it couldn't have gone better. Sleeping s lot because of the pain meds but really not felling all that bad! Did 3 laps of the hospital floor already ???? I hope your recovery is going smoothly too

I think you are a liar. I know for a fact Aceves will not do this procedure because it's a surgery type only the bottom feeder surgeons do. No good surgeon will do plication. Huacuz... HA! Can we say bottom feeder in 10 different ways? I'm not a fan of Watkins, I think he uses message boards for free advertising. I think Watkins is a loser in every possible way. So be very clear I am not defending him. But I am calling you out as a liar. Lopez-Corvala had the SAME complication, the blood supply was cut off from the stomach. And you are trying to tell us this does not happen? Look at my above post, I gave you the damn link to see for yourself. You should have looked at it before blowing smoke up everyone's butt. Dr. Kuri is a band mill, he doesn't even DO plication or the real deal, a sleeve. You claim to have spoken with Dr. Aceves. Perhaps you should be aware, in order to speak with Dr. Aceves you must first complete the medical questions, submit them to the office and then after he reviews it he returns your call. I call bull shit. Also, Dr. Aceves wouldn't down another surgeon if you paid him to. Something I disagree with but it is what it is. You are a liar.

I had my surgery on 5/4. I had a bit of a complication with the band afterwards, and the doc took saline out. I am able to eat. Not quite like before but def feel like it's too much food. I won't get a fill for a month. I am scared that I am going to screw this whole thing up. Will it get better?

I haven't been tested for anything yet.. I let my program coordinator/nurse know what I think about the egg allergy, and she asked a few questions (probably trying to determine band complications or not) but didn't seem concerned. She just told me to stay away from eggs if they're causing me problems, because food allergies can be developed anytime. The gluten intolerance theory is now the top of my list, because now that I've stopped eating eggs I'm feeling better (and lost 3 lbs.. plateau busted?), but had all of my symptoms again last night after eating things like oatmeal during the day. It's just getting frustrating to not know what is making me sick.. and especially frustrating to get my band to agree with me eating it (i.e. not getting stuck) only to be in incredible pain later that lasts for hours. On a brighter note, I have a go-to food blog that has a gluten-free category with a lot of recipes that look really good, in case anyone is looking for some new ideas. http://www.skinnytaste.com/search/label/Gluten%20Free

If your doctor insists that you have one ask for it to be done after you are asleep in the OR. There is absolutely no reason for any one to have a catheter with this surgery. IT is usually outpatient and you are up in a few hours and on your way home. I do not understand people staying overnight unless they have complications. They are not working any where near low abdominals which would be the only reason to use a catherter in the first place.